Big rush for tickets to first Adelaide Oval AFL final between Port Adelaide and Richmond

THE rush is on for tickets to Adelaide Oval’s first AFL final — Sunday’s sudden-death Port Adelaide-Richmond play-off. Replay Michelangelo Rucci’s blog.

MICHELANGELO RUCCI CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER

The AdvertiserSeptember 1, 20141:44pm

THE rush is on for tickets to Adelaide Oval’s first AFL final — Sunday’s sudden-death Port Adelaide-Richmond play-off.

Scores of eager fans lined up early at City Cross Arcade’s Tiketek outlet to snap up tickets when they went on sale at 9am this morning.

Paul Winkley said he was “a little worried” about getting in early enough to secure tickets, but was first in line after a friend arrived to hold his place at 6am

“It should be terrific. I’m looking forward to it ... it’s fantastic being first in, I’m very pleased,” he said.

“I hope they boys do the job on Sunday, they should, they’ve had an excellent season.”

Second in line, Jenny Hart of Magill, arrived about 6.30am with a stool, expecting to use it while waiting patiently in line.

“I was quite surprised there weren’t more people lining up ... it’s a bit of a worry, where are all the Power supporters? On the internet I suppose.”

By 9am more than 100 people were in line including Richmond supporter Craig Davis, who secured just one ticket.

“I think there will be a strong group of Richmond supporters in the crowd,” he said.

“The sleeping giant has awoken.”

The AFL will initially assign 80 per cent of the 53,000 tickets to the Port Adelaide Football Club membership base, but the league concedes this may be scaled back if Richmond members make a strong call on the tickets.

Power and Tiger members have a four-hour priority period to buy passes before any remainders are put on public sale from 2pm through Ticketek at its agencies, by telephone on 132 849 or online at ticketek.com.au.

Port yesterday advised members to register their interest on Ticketek’s website.

The record crowd for an AFL final - 50,521 at the 2005 Showdown semi-final between the Crows and Power at Football Park - is expected to fall and the Oval record of 52,505 could also be surpassed.

Ticket sales will be boosted by Port fans being guaranteed just one final in Adelaide this month and Richmond supporters being further attracted to travel for the cut-throat play-off by the rave reviews of the redeveloped Adelaide Oval.

Power members are not guaranteed their regular seats at the Oval. Finals tickets are sold on a first-in, next-best-seat basis.

Adelaide Oval’s 22-game football members need to check with Ticketek if they will be granted priority access to finals tickets.

Adult ticket prices vary from the cheapest on the northern mound at $40 to premium seats in the stands at $85.

Port has gained confirmation from the AFL that its pre-game routine of having the Power players take to the field with the Rudimental Not Giving In theme and the 60-second countdown to the opening bounce with its INXS Never Tear Us Apart anthem would continue for the home final on Sunday.

“Port Adelaide’s game-day experience this year has probably been the best in the competition,” AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said.

“We really don’t want to do anything with that (to change it) at all, other than be absolutely dead-set with our timings for the match broadcast to start when the umpires come out.

“We think that what the Power has done this year has been absolutely fantastic, so it will basically run as is (on Sunday).”

Port Adelaide cheer squad president Ian Wilson believes all tickets to Sunday’s game will be snapped up in four hours by Port Adelaide and Richmond members.

“I reckon it will sell out before general admission get a chance,” he said.

“There’s going to be a lot of Richmond supporters jumping on board.”

Power fanatic Janelle Newman, who has been a member of the club for 11 years, said she and her family would be getting in early today to secure their tickets.

“It’s going to be incredible,” she said. “The atmosphere at Adelaide Oval has already been amazing all year so I can’t even begin to imagine how it will be for a final.”

Miss Newman, 21, of Oakden, said the hot form of Richmond was worrying, but she was confident Port Adelaide could produce a winning performance.